Global retail sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products reached an estimated $4.3 billion in 2009, according to Organic Exchange's (OE) Organic Cotton Market Report 2008-2009. Despite the recession, sales grew 35% from the $3.2 billion market in 2008; Driven in large part by "consumer interest in 'green' products", and the the development of new and existing organic cotton programs. But which brands and retailers are purchasing all that inventory? Click on through for the top ten (seven of which are based in the U.S.) buyers of organic cotton:

The report also revealed that companies are interested in traceability standards, fair labor, and certifications. More below.

Companies increasingly became certified to traceability standards such as the OE Blended or OE 100 standard as it helps users track their actual use of organic fiber from the field to the finished product, contributing to the increasing integrity of the organic fiber market. Many manufacturers also became certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which addresses textile's processing stages and includes strong labor provisions.

The market will only continue to grow, according to OE. They expect a 20 to 40 percent increase in both 2010 and 2011 which would result in an estimated $5.1 billion market in 2010 and $6.0 billion market in 2011.